The British Equestrian Federation has published the report of the independent review commissioned by the British Equestrian Federation (BEF). The BEF board commissioned the review to fully understand and investigate issues raised by its former CEO, Clare Salmon, in July 2017.
The review was conducted by the independent organisation Sport Resolutions and investigated the relationship between the BEF’s board, head office and member bodies during the period April 2016 to the appointment of the independent review panel on 13 October 2017.
In summary, the independent review panel found that there had been a breakdown in relationships between the leadership of the BEF and member bodies, which was not exclusive to the period under investigation. In relation to the key themes raised by the CEO on her resignation, certain actions during the period relevant to the review may be viewed objectively as bullying, elitism and arising from self interest; but there was no evidence of corruption.
British Dressage responded to the publication of the report.
"While we do not necessarily recognise or agree with some of the published statements contained within the report, we fully support and endorse the recommendations made by the panel," said the BD press officer. "There are a number of unsubstantiated allegations specifically about British Dressage contained within the report, which were outside the terms of reference for this review and therefore have not been investigated by the panel. BD has already publicly addressed these points at an open members’ meeting in November 2017, during the period of the investigation, and via comprehensive notes published at this time on the official BD website."
Chief Executive Jason Brautigam stated; “We would like to thank the panel and Sport Resolutions for their report and recommendations. While it has been a challenging few months on a number of fronts, I am confident that we are now in a strong position to move forward positively. The Board of Directors, staff and stakeholders of British Dressage are all looking forward to a constructive and productive working relationship with the new BEF Chief Executive Nick Fellows, the new BEF Chairman and the BEF Board for the future benefit and development of equestrianism as a whole.”
Read the full independent report here.
Related Links
British Equestrian Federation Under Investigation for Alleged Bullying, Elitism, Corruption
Clare Salmon Resigns as Chief Executive of the British Equestrian Federation